Reach For The Stars Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau presents a new overview of the international Art Nouveau movement. Art Nouveau represented the search for a new style for a new age, a sense that the conditions of modernity called for fundamentally new means of expression. Art Nouveau emerged in a world transformed by industrialisation, urbanisation and increasingly rapid means of transnational exchange, bringing about new ways of living, working and creating. This book is structured around key themes for understanding the contexts behind Art Nouveau, including new materials and technologies, colonialism and imperialism, the rise of the 'modern woman', the rise of the professional designer and the role of the patron-collector. It also explores the new ideas that inspired Art Nouveau: nature and the natural sciences, world arts and world religions, psychology and new visions for the modern self. Ashby explores the movement through 41 case studies of artists and designers, buildings, interiors, paintings, graphic arts, glass, ceramics and jewellery, drawn from a wide range of countries.

'A touching tale of star-crossed lovers' New magazine Book of the Week. A tear-jerking love story for fans of Kathryn Hughes and Leah Fleming Kent, 1939. Eliza is to be married to Nicholas, her companion since she was a child. But when the pair are involved in a car crash, Eliza is rescued by a stranger, Lewis Harper, whose stunning green eyes she will never forget. As the war begins, Eliza's world begins to fall apart: her beloved brother Martyn is killed in action, and her once-beloved husband grows increasingly distant. And then, when her efforts to help the Dunkirk evacuees take her to the south coast, she spots a familiar pair of eyes. Torn between passion and duty, Eliza must choose whether to follow her conscience or her heart. But wartime has plenty of its own dangers, and with spies infiltrating even the country houses of Kent, Eliza must find the courage to serve her country in even the most heart-breaking circumstances.

This monograph details Mucha's dazzling rise to fame and how the "Mucha style" became synonymous with Art Nouveau.

"This book, a full-scale treatment of Mucha's entire oeuvre, includes discussions and reproductions of paintings, posters, decorative panels, pastels, drawings, photographs, jewelry, and illustrations from throughout his career ... 248 color plates, 112 black-and-white illustrations"--Dustjacket.

The landlocked Czech Republic is not a large country, but it has a rich history. Known for its architectural treasures, lush forests, and a strong literary heritage, the Czech Republic was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was united with Slovakia under the name Czechoslovakia before its peaceful independence in 1993. Since then, the Czech Republic has become a stable and prosperous parliamentary republic. Readers will learn more about this complex country and its distinctive culture in this engaging and informative book.

Czech artist and Art Nouveau master Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) defined the look of the fin-de-siecle. In shades of peach, gold, ochre and olive, his compositions of patterns, flowers and women became a mainstay of illustration, posters, postcards, and advertising designs of the day. Mucha also harbored committed nationalist beliefs. With works such as The Slav Epic, he expressed his support for Pan-Slavism, promoting the political independence of the Czech and Slavic nations from the Austro-Hungarian Empire